To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to increase inpatient hospital payments under the Medicare Program to Puerto Rico hospitals.

April 20, 2005

Mr. FORTUN.AE6O (for himself, Mr. WELLER, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. DENT, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. VELAZQUEZ, Mr. OWENS, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, and Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to increase inpatient hospital payments under the Medicare Program to Puerto Rico hospitals.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Puerto Rico Medicare Reimbursement Equity Act of 2005'.

SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF MEDICARE INPATIENT HOSPITAL PAYMENT RATE FOR PUERTO RICO HOSPITALS.

Section 1886(d)(9)(E) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(9)(E)) is amended--

(1) by striking `and' at the end of clause (iii);

(2) in clause (iv), by inserting `and before October 1, 2005,' after `2004,' and by striking the period at the end and inserting `; and'; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new clause:

`(v) on or after October 1, 2005, the applicable Puerto Rico percentage is 0 percent and the applicable Federal percentage is 100 percent.'.

END